The Rainbow Alphabet Calendar is a calendar reform concept created by Karl Palmen.
It has 52 rainbow weeks named after the letters of the alphabet 'A' to 'Z' and 'a' to 'z'. The days of the rainbow week are Redday, Orangeday, Yellowday, Greenday, Blueday, Indigoday and Violetday. Week 'z' also has a Purpleday every year and in a leap year a Magentaday.
The Purpledays and Magentadays ensure that there are exactly 52 rainbow weeks in a year. They cause the rainbow week to move relative to the 7 day week.
Karl Palmen says he chose the new year so that the solstices occur in week 'M' and 'm' and the equinoxes in weeks 'Z' and 'z'.
Historic calendar[]
An earlier version of the calendar had the equinoxes in weeks 'M' and 'm' and the solstices in weeks 'Z' and 'z', but this calendar was less reliable at keeping the equinoxes and solstices in their required weeks and this was one reason for changing it.
Below is a conversion table to and from the Gregorian calendar:
Northward Sun Southward Sun RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI A 25.26.27.28.29.30.31. Dec a 26 27 28 29 30 1 02 Jul B 1.02.03.04.05.06.07. Jan b 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Jul C 08.09.10.11.12.13.14. Jan c 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Jul D 15.16.17.18.19.20.21. Jan d 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Jul E 22.23.24.25.26.27.28. Jan e 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Jul F 29.30.31. 1.02.03.04. Feb f 31 1 02 03 04 05 06 Aug G 05.06.07.08.09.10.11. Feb g 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 Aug H 12.13.14.15.16.17.18. Feb h 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Aug I 19.20.21.22.23.24.25. Feb i 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Aug J 26.27.28. 1 02 03 04 Mar j 28 29 30 31 1 02 03 Sep K 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Mar k 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Sep L 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Mar l 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sep M 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Mar m 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Sep RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI N 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 Apr n 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 Oct O 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Apr o 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Oct P 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Apr p 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Oct Q 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Apr q 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Oct R 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Apr r 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Oct S 30 1 02 03 04 05 06 May s 30 31 1 02 03 04 05 Nov T 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 May t 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Nov U 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 May u 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Nov V 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 May v 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Nov W 28 29 30 31 1 02 03 Jun w 27 28 29 30 1 02 03 Dec X 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Jun x 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Dec Y 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Jun y 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Dec Z 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Jun z 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dec RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI Annual Magentaday Leap Magentaday Magentaday Z = June 25th Magentaday z = Dec 25th
Leap Magentaday occurs in the year before a Gregorian leap year. Dates followed by a dot are one day later in the Gregorian calendar before or on a February 29.
Current calendar[]
Here is a conversion table for the current calendar, which keeps the equinoxes and solstices in their weeks for over a 1000 years from the present time.
Northern Sun Southern Sun
RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI
A 27 28 29 30 31 1 02 Mar/Apr a 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 Sep/Oct
B 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Apr b 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Oct
C 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Apr c 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Oct
D 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Apr d 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Oct
E 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Apr e 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Oct
F 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 May f 30 31 1 02 03 04 05 Oct/Nov
G 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 May g 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Nov
H 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 May h 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Nov
I 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 May i 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Nov
J 29 30 31 1 02 03 04 May/Jun j 27 28 29 30 1 02 03 Nov/Dec
K 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Jun k 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Dec
L 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Jun l 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Dec
M 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Jun m 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dec
RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI
N 26 27 28 29 30 1 02 Jun/Jul n 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Dec
O 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Jul o 1 02 03 04 05 06 07 Jan
P 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Jul p 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Jan
Q 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Jul q 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Jan
R 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Jul r 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Jan
S 31 1 02 03 04 05 06 Jul/Aug s 29 30 31 1 02 03 04 Jan/Feb
T 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 Aug t 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Feb
U 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Aug u 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Feb
V 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Aug v 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Feb
W 28 29 30 31 1 02 03 Aug/Sep w 26 27 28 then as below …
X 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Sep RE OR YE GR BL IN VI
Y 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sep
Z 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Sep
RE OR YE GR BL IN VI
Common Years: Leap Years:
RE OR YE GR BL IN VI RE OR YE GR BL IN VI
w 26 27 28 1 02 03 04 Feb/Mar w 26 27 28 29 1 02 03 Feb/Mar
x 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Mar x 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 Mar
y 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Mar y 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Mar
z 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Mar z 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Mar
RE OR YE GR BL IN VI PU RE OR YE GR BL IN VI PU MA
Rainbow Week:
1 RE Redday
2 OR Orangeday
3 YE Yellowday
4 GR Greenday
5 BL Blueday
6 IN Indigoday
7 VI Violetday
8 PU Purpleday (week z only)
9 MA Magentaday (week z in leap years only)
Example dates:
- May 1 = Redday big F
- August 24 = Greenday big V
- December 25 = Redday little n (Noel)
- January 1 = Redday little o
- February 17 = Indigoday little u
External links[]
- Karl Palmen's Rainbow Alphabet Calendar by Karl Palmen (historic version).
- Karl Palmen's Rainbow Calendars by Karl Palmen (current version).